Here’s the big list of movie composers. I’ll list their soundtracks, and specifically which tracks are worth listening to — on their own, not within the movie.

Some of these soundtracks could be better than I realize — if I listened to them all the way through I might add more track(s) to my list. But this gives you a good idea of what I like.

John Barry

Barry provided the soundtrack for most of the James Bond movies — 11 of them — from 1963 to 1987 (I heard some of those themes at this concert). Some of his work is collected in Moviola (including a great new tune called “Moviola”).

Danny Elfman

Elfman has an incredible relationship with Tim Burton. His music has a playfulness unlike any other. He has a couple of compilation albums called Music for a Darkened Theatre. Upcoming work includes Tulip Fever and The Circle.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice’s Theme

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Farmhouse

New Avengers

Batman

The entire album, especially Batman Theme

Instinct

Into the Wild

Men in Black

M.I.B. Main Theme

Music For A Darkened Theatre

Pee Wee’s Big Adventure

Dick Tracy

Beetlejuice

Darkman

Hot to Trot

Big Top Pee Wee

Scrooged

Music For A Darkened Theatre, Vol. 2

Edward Scissorhands [5 tracks]

Dolores Claiborne [5 tracks]

To Die For [5 tracks]

Black Beauty [7 tracks]

Batman Returns [4 tracks]

Mission: Impossible [3 tracks]

Sommersby [3 tracks]

Nightmare Before Christmas

Overture

Jack and Sally

Christmas Eve Montage

What’s This?

Sally’s Song

Planet of the Apes

Main Titles

The Hunt

Ape Suite #2

Spider-man

Main Titles

Farewell

Michael Giacchino

Giacchino has a great relationship with J.J. Abrams — scoring his TV series Lost and then most of his movies. He released 2 astonishingly brilliant soundtracks, Star Trek and Up, in the same year — 2009. Upcoming work includes Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Incredibles 2.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

The Great Ape Processional

Enough Monkeying Around

The Incredibles

The Incredits

Inside Out

The Joy of Credits

Jurassic World

As the Jurassic World Turns

Nine to Survival Job

Lost – Season 2

Hurley’s Handouts

The Gathering

Lost – Season 3

Shambala

Lost – Season 4

Ji Yeon

There’s No Place Like Home

Lost – The Final Season

Lax

Karma Has No Price

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Light the Fuse

Ratatouille

Colette Shows Him Le Ropes

End Creditouilles

Star Trek

The entire album, especially Enterprising Young Men

Star Trek Into Darkness

The entire album, especially Logos / Pranking the Natives

Tomorrowland

Pin-Ultimate Experience

Up

The entire album, especially Married Life

Zootopia

Suite from Zootopia

Jerry Goldsmith

Goldsmith had a very successful relationship with the Star Trek franchise, starting with the first original series movie and going all the way to the last Next Generation movie. He could often be counted on to include unusual instruments in his scores.

Air Force One

The Parachutes

Alien

Main Title

The Best of Star Trek – 30th Anniversary Special!

Star Trek: Voyager Main Title (Extended Version)

Escape From the Planet of the Apes

Main Title

The Great Train Robbery

Suite from “The Great Train Robbery”

Gremlins

Gremlins (suite)

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Gremlin Credits

Medicine Man

The entire album, especially The Trees

Planet of the Apes

The Hunt

No Escape

The Trial

The Forbidden Zone

The Russia House

Love Theme

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The entire album, especially Ilia’s Theme

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

The entire album, especially The Mountain

Star Trek: First Contact

The entire album, especially First Contact

Star Trek: Insurrection

The entire album, especially The Children’s Story

Star Trek: Nemesis

The entire album, especially A New Ending

Supergirl

Overture

Wild Rovers

Bronco Bustin’

James Horner

As a young composer Horner was asked to fill Jerry Goldsmith’s shoes for the 2nd Star Trek movie, and he did so amazingly well. He also had a relationship, at times difficult, with James Cameron.

Aliens

Main Title

Futile Escape

Bishop’s Countdown

Apollo 13

Main Title

End Titles

Avatar

Becoming One of “The People” Becoming One With Neytiri

Cocoon

Cocoon

Field of Dreams

The Place Where Dreams Come True

Shoeless Joe

Legends of the Fall

The Ludlows

The Mask of Zorro

The Plaza of Execution

Zorro’s Theme

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

The entire album, especially Main Title

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

The entire album, especially Returning To Vulcan

Titanic

Southampton

Willow

The entire album, especially Willow’s Theme

Thomas Newman

Newman tends to compose short tracks, but they can have a big impact. His Best Exotic Marigold Hotel soundtracks have an Indian flavour to them. He’s composed several soundtracks for Sam Mendes. Upcoming work includes the science fiction movie Passengers.

Howard Shore

Shore’s masterwork is the 3-part soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings (which he has also reconfigured into a 6-part symphony). He also wrote the 3-part soundtrack for The Hobbit — some of it was great, but some was strangely mediocre. In addition to Peter Jackson, he’s also scored several movies for David Cronenberg. Upcoming work includes Denial and The Spider.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The entire album, especially An Unexpected Party

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Forest River

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Ruins of Dale

Hugo

The Thief

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The entire album, especially Many Meetings

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The entire album, especially The Rides Of Rohan

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The entire album, especially The White Tree

John Williams

Williams has had an astonishing relationship with Steven Spielberg (I even went to a concert where that was the theme). He’s also composed the music for all 7 Star Wars movies for George Lucas. It’s possible that he’s written more instantly recognizable themes than any other composer. Although he’s getting up there in years, upcoming work includes Star Wars episodes VIII and IX and Ready Player One.

1941

March

Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry’s Wondrous World

Hedwig’s Theme

Hook

Flight to Neverland

Jaws

Main Theme

Jurassic Park

The entire album, especially Theme From Jurassic Park

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Theme from the Lost World

Memoirs of a Geisha

Becoming a Geisha

Raiders of the Lost Ark

March

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

The entire album, especially Duel Of The Fates

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

The entire album, especially Across The Stars (Love Theme)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Cantina Band

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The entire album, especially The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme)

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Luke and Leia

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Rey’s Theme

The Jedi Steps and Finale

Superman

Prelude and Main Title March

The Planet Krypton

Love Theme from Superman

The Terminal

The Tale of Viktor Navorski

Hans Zimmer

From superheroes to con artists, Zimmer will compose music for them. He has a great relationship with Christopher Nolan. Upcoming work includes Inferno and Dunkirk.

Backdraft

Fighting 17th

Batman Begins (with James Newton Howard)

Molossus

The Dark Knight (with James Newton Howard)

Harvey Two-Face

Aggressive Expansion

Like a Dog Chasing Cars

Driving Miss Daisy

End Titles

Inception

Dream Is Collapsing

Time

Interstellar

No Time For Caution

The Last Samurai

A Way of Life

Madagascar

Zoosters Breakout

Man of Steel

Look To the Stars

What Are You Going To Do When You Are Not Saving the World?

Matchstick Men

Weird Is Good

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (with Klaus Badelt)

The entire album, especially He’s A Pirate

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

The entire album, especially Jack Sparrow

The Rock

The entire album, especially Rocket Away

Sherlock Holmes

The entire album, especially Discombobulate

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

It’s So Overt It’s Covert

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